Tag: beverage

In a previous post, we discussed how patterns like the polka dot can quickly and effectively liven up any wedding scene. Whether patterns form the central wedding theme, or are used as an accent to the main colors, they are a pleasant addition. Some patterns like stripes can be used everywhere, from the wedding cake to the bridesmaids dresses and rest of the décor.

Stripes are an interesting update to any wedding color scheme. When it is done in moderation, this pattern has the ability to add sophistication and make a color combination more attractive. Depending on the colors and width of stripes that are chosen, stripes can make a scene look more serious, casual or contemporary. Small pin stripes and big bold colored stripes have a casual feel, while softly colored stripes have a stylish effect. Hence it is a pattern to consider using at your wedding.

Check out our top ten ideas here, on how you can add this interesting detail into your wedding.

We like the idea of doing it big with stripes. Featured here is a beautiful and captivating invitation card with tropical red and orange colors stretching across a white base. A foil accent in gold is all it takes to transform this interesting card to something fantastic. As taupe and tango sizzle along the breadth of this card, the rippling effect is simply mesmerizing. We are sure that a card like this will be loved by your guests, and will set the excitement buzzing for all that is store on your big day. This invitation is an online exclusive from our Best for Bride wedding invitation collection. Customization options for both the bands of color and the foil accents are available, so you can find the color that matches your theme best. To find out more about this card, or to place your order, continue on to this link here.

2.Delightfully delicious striped cake

Simple in it’s elegance, but stunning in appearance, this wedding cake from the Natalya cake collection at Best for Bride is a work of beauty. As brown and white stripes offset each other on the softly curved cake layers, the flowers add a beautiful dimension to them. Creating big bold stripes on wedding cake is literally a “piece of cake.” So, while your wedding guests indulge in this delicious looking desert, you can be happy at having a grand cake on a budget. If you are searching for inspiration on how to perfect the stripe details on your wedding cake, take a look at this page on the Cake Geek website. There is a bounty of wonderful images you can draw ideas from.

3.Signature stripes coasters

We strongly believe that the best things come in little packages. Add the befitting finishing touches to your wedding décor with striped coasters, customized with your name and event details. Shown here in a teal and black ink finish, you can see how stylish this little detail can be at your wedding. The interesting pinstripe and crest design can be customized with the colors you like. Whether you use it as party décor or favors to share with your guests, it adds that perfect little striped detail to your big event. Find out how you can place your order for this product and your customization options by clicking on this link.

4.Beautiful birch tree guest book

You do not always have to do stripes all the way for the intended impact. Add a unique and unusual touch to your wedding, with this guest book featuring a birch tree motif on the side. The resemblance of the weathered trees in the picture to vertical stripes is evident, even while it is more attractive with it’s picturesque details. With a cute bird detail on the textured cover, this book allows you to collect up to 100 guest signatures in the available space. It will undoubtedly be a valuable keepsake that looks just as beautiful as the messages that it will contain within. To find out more about this product, or to place your order, visit our wedding website here.

5.Diagonal stripe place card

Black and white is one of the most preferred combinations for stripe designs, apparently because of the ease with which it is available. Featured here is a diagonal stripe place card, that will spruce up the table with the place card arrangement at your wedding. Not only will it easily blend into any wedding color palette, it will also be a small detail that subtly gels in without being too noisy or cluttered. This product belongs to our section for additional accessories for weddings. You can find out more details about it, as well as place your order at this link.

6.Stripe straws for all your party beverages

One easy and inexpensive way to add this small detail to your overall wedding service décor is to use striped straws for your beverages. With this little element, they will not only taste, but also look refreshing, when you dress them up with pretty striped straws that match your overall color theme. Guaranteed to last through refills, these will serve your guests throughout the reception. Available in eight custom colors, you can either use the same color on all your choices, or mix it up for an interesting variation on the general look. Either way it is a small detail that will not go unnoticed. Read more about how you can place your order for these, by visiting this link.

7.Striped treat bags

If you have a candy buffet at your wedding reception, these striped treat bags are a cool way to add a little extra striped detail into the scene. While being a practical and fun choice, they are also pretty enough to add a pop of color to your overall table décor. You can also fill them up with treats beforehand, and seal the neck with a ribbon bow. Add a self sticking adhesive label with the details of the event, and they are ready to be distributed and taken home. Like the striped straws, these are also available in a range of colors, and allow you plenty of choice to find one that will match your wedding color palette. Check out this link to find out what the color options and the price details are.

8.Striped shirt and plain tie, or the other way around

Don’t leave your bridegroom out of the picture, as stripes are a design detail that he can easily carry off. Unlike polka dots or chevron, it doesn’t look odd when a man chooses to wear a striped piece of clothing for a formal occasion, like his own wedding. Either choose a striped shirt and a plain silk tie, or the reverse; a plain shirt and striped tie. Either way, you will not have any difficulty finding these choices, as stripes is a detail that rules almost everything in the men’s fashion department. The bonus here is that your groom can easily make up for the fact that you cannot wear a striped wedding dress. Well, a striped wedding dress would be stretching the theme a little too far, don’t you think?

9.Striped baker’s twine

For those brides who don’t want to spare any detail, here is the perfect striped accessory to wrap up your wedding favors or boxes with. Striped baker’s twine, available in a range of colors, makes it easy and interesting to add the finishing touches to your perfect party favors. Small, but pretty, these add instant vintage flair to your party packages. It can also be used as part of your wedding stationary, to wrap around envelopes. Available as spools of 100 meters each, you can choose from a variety of colors to find the one that best fits your wedding scenery. Take a closer look at this special product from our wedding favors and accessories collection, by visiting this link.

10.Striped water bottle label

To make a theme work, every single detail counts. So, don’t spare attention to the water bottle labels that you employ at your wedding reception. The simple addition of these lined labels to the little refreshing bottles of water will make all the difference to bring together every single element at your wedding. The romantic floral motif at the corner of the label can be customized in any color of your choice, so it blends in with the overall color scheme. As you add a touch of flair to even the water bottles with custom self-adhesive labels, you are well on your way to making sure that every detail at your wedding is just right. Check out this product at the link to our wedding favors page.

11.Fun diagonal striped bunting

Buntings are a must-have at any celebration, and weddings are no exception to this rule. Make your wedding venue more festive with a bright and vibrant striped bunting in the colors of your choice. Hang this at the entrance, behind your buffet table, on the Mr. and Mrs. chair; basically wherever you think they will look good. You can customize the bunting with your choice of letters, and let it soar. The best part of this bunting is that it doesn’t come in the standard triangular shape that we so commonly see. It has a curly bracket border which makes it all the more prettier. Find out all about the colors that we offer and how you can place your order, by visiting our favors page.

12.Striped bridesmaids dress

It may not be a good idea for the bride to dress in stripes. Instead, have your bridesmaids in stripes. This bridesmaid dress in the popularly sought-after black and white classic combination belongs to the Alfred Sung bridesmaid dress collection at Best for Bride. This full-length sateen dress features a jewel neck and keyhole back. The full length skirt has a pleated finish and it also has pockets at the seams. Although it is a single piece dress, it resembles a two-piece dress and is an interesting choice to dress your bridesmaids in. The A-line design flatters most figures, and so it is likely that all your bridesmaids will be able to pull off this design without difficulty.

13.Wedding ring with stripes

Let your love for stripes accompany you on your married life forever, by being the design on your wedding ring. If you are genuinely fond of this design, consider having your wedding ring designed with a stripe design on it. Contemporary, yet timeless, this is a design that you will love for years, and it will never look dated. Either have black stripes done into silver or gold, or consider having metals in different colors clubbed through stripes for a whimsical finish.

Image Credits:Bence Fordos, via Flickr

14.Stripe clutch for your bridesmaids

If not the bridesmaids dresses, choose to accessorize your bridesmaids with a striped clutch. This is the perfect way to add this subtle detail into their overall outfits. A striking combination will easily stand out against a bridesmaid dress in a solid color. It will also be a great gift for your bridesmaids, and one that they will find plenty of use for, later on. The clutch featured here is a signature design that has a number of striped panels that come together in a beautiful finish. Something as stellar as this textile bag can be one of the smaller gifts you may like to add to your bridesmaids gift hamper. We are sure this will be put to plenty of use due to its interesting finish and overall look.

Good food is a very important factor in making your wedding memorable. However detailed and unique your wedding décor may be, or how beautiful you look on your wedding day, all this becomes insignificant if your wedding menu is not up to the mark.

Food lovers are aplenty, and there will be more than just few at your wedding. So, you are responsible for providing hearty and interesting fare, that will appeal to them. Only then will they go home happy, and consider your wedding a total success.

The responsibility of serving delicious food and creating an interesting menu, lay with your wedding caterer. With a reliable and talented caterer on your side, it will be easy to satisfy your guests and even exceed their expectations, where food is concerned.

How do you find the right person to cater to your wedding? Find out for your self, by asking the following ten questions to potential candidates.

1.What are your service charges, and what does it include?

Everything in a wedding is closely tied to the wedding budget. To choose a caterer, you have to first obtain quotes from caterers you wish to consider. This helps you to decide if the charges will be within your budget, and you can proceed with further discussions. Caterers do not just supply the food for the wedding, they also provide the associated services. These may or may not include setting up, serving the food, clean-up after service, cake slicing and serving etc.

The services included in the quotes may differ from one vendor to another. So, you should ask for what is included specifically, as this not only contributes to the experience, but will also impact your budget. If the caterer provides only the food, you have to spend extra on the staff for the service. When collecting quotes, ask for a detailed break-up of what is included in it. This will help you compare caterers and find the best option that works within your budget, after considering all the extras that you have to arrange separately.

2.How many staff will be present at the venue?

This is obviously tied to your guest count and type of food service. This cheat sheet on Wedding planning for dummies gives an apt representation for different types of services. The ideal staff to guest ratio can vary from 1 or 2 waiters for up to 12 guests at a formal sit-down style meal to 1 for 25 guests at a buffet meal service. However, not all vendors use the same server-to-guest ratio.

It is important to obtain this detail, as this will affect the quality of service at your wedding. You should also consider details like what other jobs the waiters will simultaneously be handling, to determine if the count works for you. Whether the staff will be refilling glasses at the tables itself, or whether guests will be collecting their beverages from a station, can alter the required number count. Take the numbers and your wedding menu style into consideration, before deciding whether a caterer’s staff count will work for you. If there is more self-service happening at the wedding, you can afford to have fewer waiters.

3.How do you obtain your ingredients?

Local and seasonal ingredients are always cheaper. If you are looking for some help with your budget, ask your caterer how they source ingredients. While comparing rates, you should take this factor into account. When you have to pay more for quality ingredients, it is likely that the food will also taste better. So, it is basically a compromise you have to make between the price and quality. If you consider it important to serve organic or reliably sourced food, you will have to pay more for caterers who can handle this requirement.

4.Will there be any extra charges that you will have to bear, apart from what is quoted?

There are factors to consider, such as the rental charges of the cutlery, glassware and tableware that will be used at your wedding. Do these come with the venue, does your caterer provide it along with the food service, or will you have to arrange for this on your own? Clarify this upfront, so there is no confusion after you place your order. Some caterers will add the rental charges to their total quote, while others will assume you will take care of this part. So, make sure you know what you are paying for.

Apart from this, you should also check whether the final bill will include any additional or overhead charges like transportation or clearing up charges. Or, is what is mentioned on the bill, the final price you have to pay?

5.How will the food be prepared prior to service?

You should be concerned about whether the food will be ready-to-serve when it arrives, or whether the caterer will be doing the finishing touches on-site? The right option depends on the menu you choose. Some items have to be prepared right before service, as this is the only way they will taste good and look appetizing. Crisp and fried food are examples.

On the other hand, you can afford to have other items prepared early and simply transferred to the serving dishes at the time of service. Cold salads and dips fall into this category. It is likely that you will have at least one or more dishes that require assembling or finishing, just prior to service. Ask your caterer how this will be handled. If the lower quote is associated with food that isn’t served in the best way it should be, you should either replace the dish with another option, or be prepared to pay more for a caterer who will do it on-site.

6.Have you worked in a similar venue before?

The venue where your wedding is held, has a huge role in determining the appropriate type of service. If your caterer has already hosted a service at the same venue, consider yourself in luck. Otherwise, you should identify whether the vendor is capable of arranging a good service in the given conditions.

If you have shortlisted vendors you to choose from, you can take them to the site and ask them about how they intend to work with it. An experienced caterer will immediately recognize if the type of meal that you suggest—plated or buffet—will be practical in a certain venue. They will also offer suggestions on how the service can be streamlined to progress smoothly. This is usually based on their previous experience in catering to weddings of similar scale and in similar venues, if not the same one. This brings us to the next important point; the experience of each vendor you consider for the job.

7.How experienced are you at handling weddings on a similar scale?

Weddings are usually huge events, and very different from regular restaurant services that most caterers are used to. Experience in handling weddings is a definite advantage. However, it isn’t necessary that the most experienced caterer will be the best for you. This depends on whether their experience includes weddings of a similar nature as yours. If your experienced caterer has only done different styles, or entirely different menus, the less experienced candidate may be a better choice.

The scale of the wedding is also a concern. If your wedding caterer has always done smaller weddings, make sure he has the equipment and staff to cater to your wedding before you confirm your booking. Ask for the additional adjustments they will make to accommodate your wedding needs. Are you convinced they will be able to pull it off? Or do you foresee a disaster? Take a call accordingly.

8.What suggestions do you have for my wedding?

Rather than telling your caterer everything he has to do, you can welcome his suggestions too. As experienced professionals, who have tended to several weddings, they will have ideas you may never have considered. Run your caterer through your wedding vision, the theme and what factors you want focus on. Then ask him for his suggestions. Similarly, gather feedback for your suggestions.

At times, a caterer may not be enthusiastic about a certain idea you suggested. If this is the case, ask him for his reasons. If he thinks it is impractical due to the logistics involved or unavailability of ingredients, you may benefit with following his inputs than forcing him to agree to do it. Your vendor may also have suggestions to make certain dishes more interesting, or suggest substitutes that may better match the meal style. Take these into consideration. When comparing vendors, look at how enthusiastic the different candidates are about your wedding. It is always better to go with someone who is more excited about cooking for you, than someone who is totally bored with your ideas.

9.How many weddings will you be handling simultaneously?

While it is not reasonable to expect your caterer to entirely dedicate his services to your wedding alone, you should be wary of vendors who take on more orders than they can handle. This will affect the quality of service at your wedding. It is even more important to know how many more weddings they will be handling on the same day as yours. If it is only yours, you can expect a more personal service. The preparation for the dishes will also be better, as they wouldn’t be shuffling orders. Communication will be better and there is smaller chance for confusion.

You should also confirm who will be in-charge of your wedding. It is inconvenient if the person who deals with your order changes mid-way, or if new orders will cause the planning associated with your order to be changed. If you attended a tasting session that you loved, you can also clarify whether the same team will be preparing the dishes for the actual wedding. This brings us to the importance of having a tasting session prior to the wedding, so you can see what you will actually get on the day and how you can accommodate any changes that may be necessary.

10.Is the dish at the tasting session final?

Like this article on the Brides blog suggests, every couple should have a tasting session before they finalize a caterer. This is because you cannot guarantee the quality of service, based on what you see on paper. You have to actually try it out for yourself, to know. So, ask for a tasting session with your shortlisted caterer, before you finalize your order. When attending it, look at the quality of food that is served. Are the vegetables fresh and bright? Is the food served at the right temperature? If it is a buffet, check to see if the food is being replenished in a timely fashion.

It may be a good idea to include a third person with you, when you go tasting. This should be someone who can give you an unbiased and frank opinion on whether they think the food is good or not. You can assess the caterer’s attention to detail and reliability, based on the service you are offered. If you like what you taste, but would like certain modifications, check with the caterer on whether they can customize the dish as per your taste. A good caterer wouldn’t hesitate to take on your suggestions, unless it means overhauling the entire dish.

With these tips, you have all the information you need to successfully choose your wedding caterer. You will find plenty of helpful tips on deciding your wedding menu in our previous posts here and here. Apart from the food, you should also pay attention to the beverages served on the day, and the china that is used for the service. It is only when all these come together in tandem, that your overall meal planning will be a be a total success. Continue visiting us at Best for Bride, your one-stop bridal destination, for more valuable tips, advice and inputs on planning the perfect wedding.

Chalkboards are springing up everywhere. Once limited to the school environment, these are now found in hotels, houses and any other place you can think of. There is a rustic and playful touch to it, which makes it an interesting addition to any venue.

Chalkboards are the perfect choice to add a cheerful, DIY touch to your wedding too. You can use it for anything, from the wedding programs, to seating charts, place cards and even more. Not only is it one of the most inexpensive choices, it also allows you to add a personal touch to your wedding and switch it up or down, should your preferences change along the way. It is reusable, versatile and allows you to get creative. Let us explore more on how you can incorporate this interesting element into your wedding day décor, and make the most of it.

Chalkboard welcome sign and wedding program

Perfect for a shabby, chic wedding ceremony, display your welcome sign on a big chalkboard in a distressed wood frame. Handwritten displays have an endearing charm, and your guests will feel warmly welcomed to the party and feel at ease immediately, when they set sights on this welcome sign.

Chalkboard direction signs

If your venue is big, and your guests are likely to lose their way between the various locations on-site, consider using chalkboard signs to direct them to where each function is to be held. They are unobtrusive, yet noticeable, so will be the perfect addition to your décor.

Chalkboard Seating chart

Display the seating arrangements at your wedding using chalkboard. Apart from having a big board with the entire seating arrangement displayed, you can also mark the table numbers and use smaller boards as place card holders. There is an added advantage to this. Should any last minute changes in plan erupt, you can easily change it on your chalkboard. It will be minimal fuss, and easy to implement.

Chalkboard buffet dish labels

Individual mini-chalkboard display boards can be used to display the dish names at your wedding reception buffet. The same can also be employed at your dessert buffet. Choose the frame according to the rest of your décor, and you will have an interesting display element that will contribute to the overall effect of the arrangement.

Chalkboards on beverage jars

This is a great idea that has become very popular at weddings these days. Beverage jars have mini-chalkboards stuck to them, allowing the guests to write their names down when they pick their drinks. This way, the jars will not get mixed up, even after the guests return to take a sip after a round on the dance floor.

Random sayings and poems

If you are choosing chalkboard displays, you might as well go all the way. Put up a few interesting quotes and poems at random places. It will amuse the guests immensely.

Do you have any more ideas of how to use chalkboards at your wedding? If so, do let us know by adding it to the comments below. For more trends and wedding related tips and advice, continue visiting us on Best for Bride.

The decisions leading up to the wedding can feel overwhelming and time-pressing, so make sure you are looking and thinking long-term in your planning as you embark on your new married life as a couple.

We compiled a list of the Top Wedding Planners in Toronto and GTA to help you find an event planner that will bring your dream wedding to life! We have also created a 12 Month Wedding Planning Checklist you can find at the bottom!